Illinois

CHICAGO — After years of credit ­stability, Chicago saw Fitch Ratings drop its general obligation rating Thursday to AA from AA-plus due to the weakening fiscal position of a city struggling with rising labor costs, lackluster revenue ­collections, and a burdensome unfunded pension ­liability.

CHICAGO — Chicago Mayor Richard Daley renewed his pledge Wednesday not to raise property taxes, but warned that the city may be forced to cut some services as it grapples with a record $654.7 million of red ink in the next budget.

CHICAGO — Moody’s Investors Service downgraded the Chicago suburb of Oak Lawn to Aa3 from Aa2, warning that the village faces a series of fiscal challenges after two years of operating deficits.

CHICAGO — Chicago faces a record $654.7 million deficit as work begins in earnest on a $6.3 billion 2011 budget, while expectations of a slight improvement in revenue collections can’t keep pace with growing ­personnel costs.

CHICAGO — Chicago is planning three new-money and refunding general obligation and revenue bond sales totaling up to $2 billion to take advantage of the taxable Build America Bond program ahead of its scheduled expiration year end.

CHICAGO — Closing arguments are scheduled to begin Monday morning in the federal corruption trial of former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich after his defense rested its case last week without calling him to the stand.

CHICAGO — The Regional Transportation Authority of Illinois will receive $442 million in long-awaited state bonding proceeds for capital projects, representing the first installment of $2.7 billion of transit funding in the state’s capital budget, Gov. Pat Quinn announced Thursday.

CHICAGO — Lawyers for former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich and his older brother Robert launched their defense Monday against allegations the ex-governor sought to use his official powers to personally profit and build his campaign coffers.

CHICAGO — Illinois and the Regional Transportation Authority of Illinois were able to overcome a steady stream of bad fiscal news as they entered the market this week with deals that drew strong-enough investor interest to keep the risk premium on interest rates down.

CHICAGO — New procurement rules aimed at curbing pay to play in contracts awarded by Illinois, its agencies, and its public universities could dampen the flow of creative financing ideas from the public finance community, some market participants believe.

CHICAGO — The Illinois Finance Authority has expanded conduit powers to issue debt on behalf of nonprofits for projects outside state borders under legislation signed this week by Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn.

CHICAGO — Illinois closed the books on fiscal 2010 last week in the “worst fiscal position in its history,” with a record $4.7 billion in unpaid bills as floundering revenues failed to cover spending, Comptroller Dan Hynes reported in his quarterly overview of the state’s fiscal condition.

CHICAGO — Illinois’ triple-A rated Lake County Forest Preserve District Thursday will competitively sell $40 million of taxable general obligation Build America Bonds.

CHICAGO — Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn Thursday signed a fiscal 2011 budget that deals with the state’s $12 billion deficit through $1.4 billion in cuts, borrowing and other one-time maneuvers and leaves $6 billion of bills unpaid.

CHICAGO – Chicago Public Schools treasurer David Bryant is among several members of the system’s Treasury Department who were claimed by layoffs announced this week to help trim labor costs.

CHICAGO — With Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn poised to sign the fiscal 2011 budget today amid a drumbeat of negative financial news, experts recently offered suggestions for tackling the state’s budget crisis that range from expanding the sales tax base to creating a ­fiscal watchdog commission.

CHICAGO — Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn late last week signed controversial legislation that creates a pilot sales tax and revenue bond program to aid a proposed $378 million retail and entertainment complex in the struggling downstate city of Marion.

CHICAGO — The Regional Transportation Authority of Illinois board yesterday approved a $140 million taxable working cash-flow note issue that will help the agency keep Chicago-area buses and trains in service as it awaits its overdue state aid.

CHICAGO — Illinois’ debt manager returns tomorrow from an overseas tour where he sought to whet the appetites of European and Asian institutional buyers for his beleaguered state’s paper ahead of a $900 million taxable Build America Bond sale.

CHICAGO — Prosecutors in the federal corruption trial of former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich sought in testimony this week to link a loan to businessman Joseph Aramanda from consultant Robert Kjellander to an alleged scheme by Blagojevich and three associates to personally profit from the state’s $10 billion pension bond sale.